Using Food & Herbs to Improve Your Postpartum Experience
Food has some pretty amazing powers to truly transform our health and is a tool I feel should be utilized more by mamas. There are just so many areas that can be directly impacted and symptoms that can be improved by a targeted, nourishing nutrition approach!
Postpartum in particular can be such a demanding, stressful, and depleted season, and food can be used in a ton of different ways to provide support so new mamas can feel amazing and be resilient to the stress they face. And even beyond postpartum and into other seasons of motherhood, making intentional shifts to more fully nourish yourself (without adding stress) can be so impactful.
So if you’re looking for guidance on how to do just this, you’re in the right place! I’ve collaborated with Amanda Radan, Certified Master Herbalist 3600 hours and owner of Tree Mama Herbals, to create this detailed resource for new, expecting, and even seasoned mamas who want to feel the best they can in motherhood!
Here are 5 of the most common postpartum areas we see women needing support with, and how to use both food and herbs as medicine to help!
1: Replenishing Nutrient Stores
Pregnancy gives around 10% of a woman’s minerals to her baby + other nutrients like fat soluble vitamins can become easily depleted (especially if stores were low prior to pregnancy, stress levels are high, and more).
Replenishing nutrients postpartum takes time and is best done through food- including certain nutritive herbs (and nutritional supplements as needed can help, too).
Nutrition Support:
Prioritize adding super nutrient-dense whole foods into your diet that are rich in commonly-depleted nutrients (i.e. folate, copper, vitamin A, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and iodine).
Some examples: Grass-fed beef, grass-fed organ meats (especially liver- find my favorite supplemental form here!), pastured eggs, grass-fed and especially raw dairy (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.) (find raw milk near you), bone broth, fruit especially tropical fruits and berries, cooked dark leafy greens, wild seafood & shellfish, sea salt, sea vegetables (seaweed), coconut water, bee pollen.
Grab your copy of The Root & Branch Guide to a Nourished Fourth Trimester for more extensive lists, plus more links to my favorite products and recipes!
Herbal Tea Blend:
6 parts Nettles
4 parts Red Clover
2 parts Moringa
All of these herbs are high in minerals and vitamins to help nourish your body. It’s especially great to have this tea in the morning to nourish your day and hydrate you, too. The longer you steep the tea, the more nourishing it will be. These herbs can be made as a nourishing infusion for a deeply nourishing drink (this means ½ cup - 1 oz. dried herbs in 12-16 oz. water and steeping for 2+ hours).
-Nettles is an anti-inflammatory tonic rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as several B vitamins, minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium, plus chlorella, and quercetin.
Nettles are particularly helpful for blood loss, low vitality, low muscle tone, and low nutritive state for mama. Nettles are also a galactagogue (meaning it can support breastmilk supply).
-Red Clover is a nourishing lymphagogue (lymph moving herb) that has also been classified as a galactagogue and a “blood purifier”. It’s rich in calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.
-And moringa is super helpful for nourishing the body and supporting energy and milk production. It’s rich in B vitamins, and vitamins K, E, D, C and A, the minerals manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium and calcium.
2: Soothing Anxiety
Postpartum can be a really stressful time especially when you’re not sleeping, when you’re worrying about your new baby, and when you don’t have the support you need. Postpartum anxiety is very common and while there are so many factors that go into this, nutrition isn’t often focused on and there are ways to mitigate anxiety using food.
Nutrition Support:
Pair a nutrient-dense source of carbs + protein together at each meal and snack. Why? Imbalanced meals can send blood sugar on a roller coaster, which is stressful on the body. When blood sugar drops, the body releases adrenaline & cortisol to raise it- this puts you into fight or flight and often triggers anxiety. You may feel shaky, jittery, irritable, and even light-headed between meals.
Aim to balance all meals and snacks with a source of quality carbs & protein. Some examples of nourishing sources:
Carbs: Potatoes, yams, plantains, butternut squash, fruits, oats, rice, sourdough bread (if tolerated)
Proteins: Chicken, beef, bison, seafood, turkey, pork, dairy foods like yogurt and cheeses, bone broth
Herbal Tea Blend:
4 parts Passionflower
4 parts Lemon Balm
2 parts Motherwort
All of these herbs are anxiolytic (meaning they reduce anxiety) and belong to the nervine class of herbs. Nervine herbs help soothe the nervous system. This tea is great during times in the day when you feel overwhelmed and irritated (think while you’re trying to make dinner and the kids are asking you for something every 2 minutes, or when the baby has been non-stop crying and you just want a chance to breathe).
-Passionflower is steadying, calming, and slightly sedating. It’s especially helpful for times when your mind feels like an internet browser with too many tabs open and music is playing from somewhere. It comes in and slowly closes each tab so you can focus.
-Lemon balm feels like joy and sunshine in the body. It’s sweet, lemony, and light.
*Note: Lemon Balm in high doses or for an extended period of time is not appropriate for those with thyroid problems.
-Motherwort is called the herb for mothers and has been described as getting a hug from your mother or grandmother. It’s excellent for irritation and symptoms of hormonal imbalance, including PMS, and can also be helpful in times of transition like weaning. It is bitter in tea and is quick acting in tincture form.
3: Improving Energy
Being a mom is demanding, and postpartum especially can be really draining. You’re healing, recalibrating, figuring out your new role, and taking on so much at once. Layer a lack of sleep onto that and it’s no wonder new moms are often exhausted! But the good news is that we make energy from food- and keeping energy up through the day is reliant on getting fuel in the tank.
Nutrition Support:
Eat consistently throughout the day and honor your hunger cues. You can’t run on fumes! Skipping/prolonging meals will increase stress hormone release and over time, can cause your body to break down its own tissues to make energy.
For most new moms, this means eating a meal or snack every 3ish hours but early postpartum, maybe closer to 2. And kick-off the day with breakfast ASAP after waking!
Herbal Tea Blend:
8 parts Nettles
1 part Rosemary
1 part Licorice Root
2 parts Spearmint
All of these herbs work in very different ways to bring energy to the body.
-Nettles- yup, again! It’s just that nourishing! When it comes to helping energy, the chlorophyll and quercetin in nettles is particularly beneficial. Chlorophyll is naturally energizing while quercetin acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (and is for allergies). Nettles is a gentle diuretic so you may feel that you have to pee more than usual! Stay hydrated!
-Rosemary has some amazing circulatory constituents. It specifically has an affinity for bringing circulation to the head. It is also mildly stimulating. If you experience an afternoon-energy slump, rosemary can be great at this time.
*Note: Not for use during pregnancy.
-Licorice root is like food for your adrenals (your primary stress-handling glands). It helps your body use cortisol the way it’s supposed to. Licorice root is especially nice for mamas that are so exhausted and feel like they have nothing left. It can bring you back to life! Licorice root is very, very sweet.
*Note: Licorice root is not to be used during pregnancy, those with hypertension, or those with kidney disorders.
-Spearmint is aromatic and awakens the body. It makes this tea blend much more tasty, too. And it will not affect your breastmilk supply!
4: Supporting Sleep
Sleep may feel totally out of your control postpartum but know that even if you’re not getting the sleep you want (or need), there are many ways to improve the sleep you ARE getting using food!
Nutrition Support:
Have a pre-bed snack ~1-2 hours before bed. This helps keep blood sugar stable through the night, decreasing stress hormones. If you’re waking often with the baby during the night, you may want to have a snack or two during the night, too! (This can actually help you fall back asleep, too).
Some examples:
Yogurt with berries and honey
Cottage cheese with fruit jam
Dates with grass-fed butter
Homemade hot cocoa or golden milk with grass-fed milk
Scrambled eggs over rice with sea salt
Herbal Tea Blend:
10 parts Chamomile
1 part Valerian Root
5 parts Skullcap
8 parts Passionflower
All of these herbs belong to the herb class nervines. They all soothe the nervous system, calm digestive issues, and gently sedate.
-Chamomile is a seriously under-rated herb. It’s not only a gentle nervine and sedative, but is also analgesic (pain relieving) and carminative (helps move gas through your digestive system). When steeped for a long time, it is also a bitter which supports the digestive process. Chamomile in this blend helps balance the bitter tastes of some of the other herbs.
-Valerian root is also a nervine, and is analgesic, carminative, and gently sedating. It really helps you get into REM sleep.
*Note: In a very small portion of the population, valerian can cause agitation. If that is the case for you, just omit it from this blend.
*Also omit valerian root if you are bedsharing or feel you won’t rouse enough to answer to the baby during the night.
-Skullcap is so fantastic when you feel overwhelmed- like when so many things are all swimming around your head and you just can’t get them straight. It is amazing for gently settling your brain and taking away the panic. Skullcap is particularly helpful for bedtime because it is not only sedating and calming, but also has pain-relieving properties.
-Passionflower, like described above, is fantastic for mamas that lay down and immediately have their to-do list running through their head or find themselves lying awake worrying. Passionflower is gently sedating, nervine, and carminative.
5: Helping Milk Supply
Breastmilk production *is* primarily about supply & demand. But, nutrition matters, too. If a mom is under-nourished OR dehydrated, milk supply can suffer (and mom can become more depleted). There are also certain herbs that can boost production!
Nutrition Support:
Be sure to eat enough food each day to properly fuel and nourish your body along with mineral-rich drinks for hydration. No “bounce back” diets here, especially if you’re breastfeeding! The body uses around 20 calories to produce 1 oz. of breastmilk so for many moms, it equates to needing 500-750 additional calories/day and sometimes more. This means 2,500+ calories/day for most women!
Examples of mineral-rich drinks:
Bone broth
Coconut water
Adrenal cocktails
Fresh fruit juices
Add sea salt to water
Herbal Tea Blend:
6 parts Red Clover
3 parts Goat’s Rue
1 part Fennel Seed
All of these herbs are nourishing and are galactagogues- a class of herbs that encourage milk production during lactation.
-Red clover in a nourishing lymphagogue (moves the lymph in the body). Your mammary glands are lymph glands so drinking this nourishing tonic will help keep things flowing.
-Goat’s rue is an especially helpful herb for mamas with low milk supply due to inadequate mammary gland supply. It’s a nutritive galactogogue.
*Note: Goat’s Rue can lower blood sugar so be sure to eat balanced meals and snacks consistently to support your blood sugar.
-Fennel is a top galactogogue. It is also a carminative (helps move gas through the digestive system), and a gentle nervine. In fact, having a big water bottle of fennel tea can especially belly birth mamas by encouraging the gas through the body (very painful during recovery) and it will encourage breastmilk.
Another amazing thing about fennel is that a little does come through the breastmilk to baby! This can be helpful if you have a baby with gas, colic, or other tummy upset.
Here’s how to make an herbal tea blend with dried herbs:
Add 1 Tbsp. of dried herbs to 8-12 oz. of nearly boiling water in a tea ball or French press.
Steep 15+ minutes, covered. (The longer you steep the more earthy and bitter it will taste and the more nourishing it will be).
Strain and enjoy!
We love Mountain Rose Herbs and Frontier Herbs for buying high quality, organic dried herbs for infusion blends!
Lastly- don’t add stress by trying to do everything at once! Ask yourself what you need and start there!
For example, work slowly to build your foundation with food over time. There are certain things that really don’t matter or make a big difference (i.e. supplements, macro tracking, etc.) if you don’t have the bases covered (i.e. nutrient-dense foods, eating enough calories, etc.) You can actually micromanage less when your base is strong.
When it comes to herbs, choose 1 herbal blend to start with and get into the groove of making and drinking it, and see how you feel! You can always add another or try something new. The possibilities are endless!
If you need more direction with your nutrition, especially if you’re struggling with intense symptoms that aren’t improving or feel you need more personalization, apply here to work 1:1 with me!
If you want more herbal support including personalized blends for your needs, Amanda works 1:1 with moms and has some great resources here.